Newsroom
OSCE/ODIHR conference discusses alternatives to criminal prosecution in Central Asia
ALMATY 24 November 2004
ALMATY, 24 November 2004 - A conference on alternatives to criminal prosecution and the protection of human rights on 25 and 26 November in Almaty will bring together over 130 criminal justice professionals from Central Asia.
The event is organized by the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) with support from the United Kingdom.
In recent years, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan have expanded the use of alternatives to criminal prosecution as a means of humanising existing criminal legislation in line with international standards.
As a result, more cases are being "reconciled" or otherwise not prosecuted through trial in the court system.
"However, the increased use of reconciliation and other processes, like mediation, has not included safeguards to ensure protection of human rights and the appropriate use of these alternative processes," said Cynthia Alkon, Head of the OSCE/ODIHR Rule of Law Unit.
"If these practices are to continue, there is a need for a better legislative framework in each country to ensure that they are based on larger criminal policy considerations and compatible with existing standards."
During the conference, international experts will present good practices in the use of mediation and reconciliation of criminal cases in a number of OSCE participating States including Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland and Russia.
Other topics to be discussed include the use of mediation in juvenile cases, the role of the probation service, prosecution and the judiciary in the use of alternative processes.
"There is a growing interest in this topic in Kazakhstan. The OSCE is happy to provide a forum for discussions and exchange experience to improve the protection of human rights," said Ambassador Ivar Vikki, Head of the OSCE Centre in Almaty.
The conference will also focus on the inappropriate use of reconciliation in sexual assault cases and gender-related crime and familiarise participants with training standards and guidelines for mediators.
The event is organized by the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) with support from the United Kingdom.
In recent years, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan have expanded the use of alternatives to criminal prosecution as a means of humanising existing criminal legislation in line with international standards.
As a result, more cases are being "reconciled" or otherwise not prosecuted through trial in the court system.
"However, the increased use of reconciliation and other processes, like mediation, has not included safeguards to ensure protection of human rights and the appropriate use of these alternative processes," said Cynthia Alkon, Head of the OSCE/ODIHR Rule of Law Unit.
"If these practices are to continue, there is a need for a better legislative framework in each country to ensure that they are based on larger criminal policy considerations and compatible with existing standards."
During the conference, international experts will present good practices in the use of mediation and reconciliation of criminal cases in a number of OSCE participating States including Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland and Russia.
Other topics to be discussed include the use of mediation in juvenile cases, the role of the probation service, prosecution and the judiciary in the use of alternative processes.
"There is a growing interest in this topic in Kazakhstan. The OSCE is happy to provide a forum for discussions and exchange experience to improve the protection of human rights," said Ambassador Ivar Vikki, Head of the OSCE Centre in Almaty.
The conference will also focus on the inappropriate use of reconciliation in sexual assault cases and gender-related crime and familiarise participants with training standards and guidelines for mediators.